The Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) elite Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS) targeted a Pakistan Army vehicle with a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) in the Mach Kund area of Bolan district. The attack occurred while the army personnel were preparing for a military operation in the region.
As per sources linked to the BLA, 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed in the strike. The militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack through affiliated social media handles. However, the Pakistani army confirmed the incident later, stating that seven of its soldiers were killed when their vehicle was targeted with explosives.
Following the explosion, Pakistani security forces launched a search and clearance operation in the area to eliminate the attackers. The army vowed to continue its counterterrorism efforts in the troubled province.
This attack marks yet another chapter in the long-standing insurgency in Balochistan. The province has been a hotbed of separatist activity and armed resistance for nearly two decades. Local insurgent groups, especially the Baloch Liberation Army, accuse the federal government of exploiting the province’s rich mineral resources while denying basic rights and infrastructure to the indigenous population.
Last week, the Pakistani military claimed to have killed 10 suspected militants in two separate operations in Balochistan. In March 2025, the BLA hijacked the Jaffar Express traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, with over 440 passengers onboard. That incident reportedly resulted in the deaths of several Pakistani security personnel.
Baloch leaders continue to voice concerns about political marginalization, economic exploitation, and military repression. The Pakistani government, on the other hand, maintains that foreign elements are supporting the insurgency and that the military operations are essential for national security.
As the violence intensifies, questions are being raised about Islamabad’s approach to resolving the crisis in Balochistan—a region critical to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and regional stability.
